wright



J. E. WRIGHT.

CAR D SORTER. APPLICATION FILED APR. 9. I918. RENEWED JAN. 7,1920.

Patented Mar. 16, 1920.

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3 INVENTOR 6. #74! ATTORN EY J. E. WRIGHT.

CARD SORTER. APPLICATION FILED APR.9, 191B. RENEWED JAN. 1, 1920.

1,333,891. Patented Mar. 16,1920.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 2- I T 1 E00 000' o 2 o 0 0o 00 oo 3 0 o o 00 000 4 o 00 0000 INVENTQR W ATTQRIigY v J. E. WRIGHT.

CARD SORTER.

APPLICATION FILED APR.9, I918- RENEWED }AN.7,1920.

1 ,333,891 v Patented Mar. 16, 1920.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

W V n! M W;

INVENTOR W E, wh /1r- 7 Go-a I L ATTORNEY Pddl lllhl JOHN EDVZARD WRIG-Iifi, 01* MET/T YGRE, N. Y.

Application filed April 9, 1915, Serial Ilc. 2531448.

ate receptacles number oi cards used in computing or tabulating.systems and which are distinguishable as belonging to ce tain classes or kinds by such indications periterations in given positions and number.

As devices of this general character are well known in the lift and as their nature and purpose. are well understood, it need only be said that the object of my improved mechanism is to pass from a pile the indh vidual cards into a machine which will sort them according to certain distinguishiup; punch marks which they contain into cor; spending compartments or receptacles so that all cards of a given class or kind may be assembled and inspected or utilized tor purposes oi computation, tabulatien. or otherwise.

The-improvement resides in the means which i have devised for this purpose and c which may be most readily understood iiom the detailed description thereof which i'ollows:

Figure l is a view partly in section and largely diagrammatic oi": the card sorting mechanism.

Fig. 2 is a front View of same apparatus.

Fig. 3 is an enlarged perspective of an element of the machine to be hereinafter described.

Fig. 4- is a detail oi the ca d distributing; mechanism proper, showing it in a different position from Fig. l to illustrate its mode,

of operation.

(Fig. 5 is an enlarged View in side elevation of the controlling; mechanism of the sorter.

Fig. 6 is an enlarged detail of the means for controlling the permutation or combinadevices.

7 is an illustrative diagram of the possible combinations of perforations for cards, and

Fig. 8 is a circuit diagram showing the relations of the several parts and illustrating their functions.

Renewed January 7, 1920. Serial 3:30. 350,0Gfi.

in l the numeral 2 indicates a card llillflcl containing a ste l: or pile of cards to "fed and having springs 3 for pushing forward against friction rollers 4c are supposed to be driven by any suitable power so as to transfer the cards singly into a chute 5, which is closed at the be tom by a swingii r door 6 shown in i. The cards have in a certain part and in columns punch holes indicating y their number and position n11ineiais say from 1 to O, as indicated in Fig.

For example the numerals from 1 to .l: are indicated by the vertical position of single holes 7, numerals 5 to O by the position oi two holes, and other data if need be by three punched holes.

The cards are passed into the chute between contacts 9 and separate them, but when a card has reached the bottom of the chute 5 and rests on the closed door 6 it passes beyond the contact points 9, see Fig.

8, and permits these contacts to toucln as each card has a cut away corner 10, so that although the cards may follow one another so closely as to touch there will always be a moment when the cut away corner pem'iits the contacts to come together.

The engagement of the contacts 9 closes the circuit of a magnet 11, which attracts its armature 13 against the force of a spring 12 and by suitable; intermediate connections shifts a bar 14 carrying tour pins engaging in four bars 15 to which are connected springs 16, normally under tension of the stronger spring 12, but which on the energization of the magnet 11 become them selves the master springs.

The bars 15 have racks 17, seeFig. 6, engaging with pinions 18 on pivoted plates 19, Fig. 3, and the lower edges of the plates bear upon the ends of four sprin actuated rods, slidably mounted in a frame 20 and having ends arranged to extend into the path of spring seated pins 41 also sliding in an extension of said frame 20. From this it results that while all of the bars 15 are under tension that or those only which may turn the piniens are moved and only that or those pinions which operate pins awhich pass into holes in the card can thus turn. I

The bars 15 which move carry contacts 21 thereon into engagement with stationary contacts 22 and close the circuit of one or more of the magnets 23, which control the bars 24: of what is known as a translator. the function of which is to determine which of path ot' a pivoteo chute ten bars 25 shall fall into an open line of notches 26 in predetermined positions on said bars 2 In other Words the notches are so placed that normally all of the bars 25 are retained in their raised positions by the unnotched parts of the bar, 2%, but when any one or more of the magnets 23 are energized the corresponding bar or bars 2% are drawn forward against the force of the sprina's 27, with the result that under one bar 20, the notches are alined so that that bar can drop. The bars 25 are pivoted levers as shown in Fig. 5 and are moved by springs 98 connected therewith.

hen any bar move in this way it closes an electric circuit by bringing together contacts 29 and 30. or 29 and 31, and it also forces for-Wart. a stop pin into the By this means any oi the tour lGCQlS at the group to the right when permitted to move will close the circuit of a magnet and push forward corresponding stop pin 2. ld hile any one of the four to the left \v'll similarly close the circuit of a magnet and push forward its corresponding pin Between magnets and 35 an arniature lever 36 pivoted at 37 and engaging with a pin 38 on chute 33 which is at So therefore if one of the right hand group of bars be moved this chute will be swung to the right until it encounters a projecting pin 32 or if its movement be due to one of the other group oi? bars then it will swing to the left.

The chute 3.3 inswinging to either right or left encounters one or the other of the arms of a fork 4.0 which being moved swings aside the door 6 at the botton'i of the card chute and thereby allows the card thereon to descend into the pivoted chute S3 and through this latter into the compartment or receptacle to vvhich the lower end. of aid chute inaly at that inouient be directed.

A slow acting magnet 4-2 which reaches its full strength later than the other inag= nets attracts an. arinatu lever 43 that draws back a bar el land res res to its normal p0 sit-ion that lever 25 ivh h has been dropped by the action of the translator; The apparatus is thus brought into condition to operaiteon another card.

The specific construction of the parts above describedis not of the essence oil? rev initeiition and may be greatly modified e1 6- viding the devices retain the functions here in assigned to them. The nature of the invention may-i therefore be best understood from the following summary.

Assume that there are a. large nuu'zber of difiere uy punched cards, and that it is desired to sort thorn into groups corresponding to thenumorals from l to 0 which punched holes in certain position thereon indicated. These cards are run on from the pile by any pivoted V 1,ess,sc1

it ears. soon as this has been done he magnet restores all parts oi" the apparatus to normal position, so that the 11635 card will fall to the bottourof chute and will be torwarded in a similar manner to its proper destination.

The chief merit of this d vice is in its 0:;- trenie simplicity. lilost of the m chanisms that have been devised for a similar purpose are cumbersome, complicated and expensive. but this apparatus is one tiat can be built a rd boughttor a small sand hence it is quite Within the reach oi nah shi'ip-keepers manufacturers and others who may 'equire its use.

lihat I claim is:

1. In a card-sorting apparatus, the coinlination with means for advancing a quan- 3' car ls sine-lg to a given position.

1g a group of p ns at the point Where dis inctive holes are punched in the cards a t uislator ope: tec bv those pins which meet and pass through ertorations a swinging chute to receive cards ans controlled the trai.,.ator to the chute to a point de ined b combination set b the pun hed holes corresponding thereto.

in a. card sorting apoaatus, the coin- With means HEHCiIlQ a quart ards singly to a giv-n position, a i uinber of pins adapt-co to be moved across the plane of the cards at a point Where cards carry distinctive perforations, translator bars adapted to be moved by such or pins as enter perforations in the card, a plurality of lovers, one of: which is pern'iitted to move according to the combination set up by the translator bars and means loidirecting the cards when released by the pins to points deterrined by the particular lever moved by the tiiuislator.

T d sorting device. the combination i h a card chute havi g a stop sing e can s ted positherein to rot tion, a swing -t n in entension o" s 'd chute, a

ator operas with pere 1 when set release a card from the main chute and direct the swinging chute to the rice nacle corresponding to the combination se up in the translator and the particular perforations on the cards.

n t st"ionjr whereof I my signature.

JOHN EDl Vfilil) VVBIGHT, 

